Large decrease in syringe distribution following the introduction of fentanyl in King County, Washington.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Syringe services programs (SSPs) serve as key platforms to deliver harm reduction services to people who use drugs (PWUD). Changes in drug supply and drug consumption behaviors, particularly the increasing use of fentanyl through non-injection methods, may impact SSP utilization.

Material and methods

We collected routine program data from three SSPs in King County, Washington. Trends in the annual number of syringes distributed and client encounters were assessed using joinpoint regression analysis to determine when statistically significant changes in trends in annual totals occurred and annual percent change (APC) during each period.

Results

The number of syringes distributed per year through King County SSPs reached a maximum of 8,733,413 in 2020 and the

SUBMITTER: Glick SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11625168 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature